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Postcrossing Blog

Back in 2005, when Postcrossing was about to be launched, a logo wasn’t on top of our priorities… To tell the truth, we just wanted to get it done so that we could open the website, invite our friends to join, and get some postcards going! :) So we quickly drafted something on an image editor with our meager design skills, and moved on to more important things: actually sending some postcards and testing the website.

Of course, this was a time at which we couldn’t imagine the project would ever grow so big… so when people outside of our circle of friends started joining, and the media picked up on it, they caught us unprepared… As time passed, our priorities quickly shifted to solving problems and keeping the website running.

But over the years, we felt the need for something a bit more professional, something that would implicitly show the essence of the project… and something that we could brag about too! And so last year, we enlisted the help of our friend and designer Maria Nogueira, with the mission to create a fresh new logo for Postcrossing. She tinkered with many ideas for some months, being ever patient with our hesitation and obsessive adjustments… And now, we’re pleased to share with you the result from this collaboration:

We love the new logo, and feel that it really says something about the project! We hope you like it too. Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Update: Hi guys! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and letting us know what you think – we do appreciate all the feedback, and it’s nice to see that you care and feel passionate about the project. We are listening and taking notes. We think it’s too soon to judge whether or not the logo is good. Let’s give it some time, and a fair chance to sink in, to see how it works.

Not bad, but, to be honest, I find the new tint of blue quite disturbing, especially on the forum, because it is on the one hand too bright but gives too little contrast on the other hand - it is simply hard to read.

Wow, the new one took me by surprise; I thought it was a birthday until I read further. I do like the old one but I don't mind this new one however, it'll take some getting used to. I think the stamp idea is very clever but I wish the letters within the stamps were lined up horizontally with the top and bottom but perhaps that's a little anal.

I appreciate the hard work to design the new one. But the new design does not look sophisticated and unique.... Images of real stamps or postage chops are very nice ideas to add, similar to the old one.

I like the old one better, this looks like there is a baby on the way with the hot pink and blue. If it was in other colors it may be okay but even then I believe it looks childish. The site should represent the world, and all different countries

Honestly, it looks like a Birthday banner for a kid's party. The other logo was much better showcasing various postcards. The font, colors etc. -- that was a nice simple & recognizable logo. But if you're looking for something new, why not have an airplane traveling through the globe and dropping off postcards to awaiting citizens down below? This could be done in Flash etc.

Happily the towards a greener hobby tree stamp is still pictured.
If possible can you change this only stamp from towards a greener hobby into an other one? And then more regulary, say change every two or three weeks in an environmentaly friendly stamp. Maybe nice idea to open a topic on the forum where members can suggest their favourite stamp for this (http://www.stampnews.com/stamps/stamps_2011/stamp_1308153527_798432.html).

About the colours blue and red, those are very carefully choosen. Not the babyblue and babypinkish from the past, but more into the here and now (but if I read this back some years later this is the past hahaha).

what about a large letter type with pics of different countries in the letters. If you put it at angles like this one ...http://www.flickr.com/photos/9teen87/5337568794/
it will all fit nicely. Then underneath you could write: The Postcard Project

Honestly? The old one was way better. Actually, this one looks like a very very quick draft from a random stranger you picked up on the street, not a talented designer. The old one looked a lot more developed and professional. This one is just childish. :-/

Hhmmm...
I think too, it feei like national flag of USA or French.
I like these country, but, I don't agree this color.
Especially, Red is improper, I think.
Some people cannot see red color.
It is not accessibility.
But, I think design is better, stamps or cards.

It certainly catches the eye, like all things new we'll get used to it. It caught me unawares but it's not bad. I don't agree that it looks American because of the colours, lots of countries have red, white and blue in their flag. Great Britain does, we won't think the new logo is just for us.

I think at the end of the day, it is difficult to please everyone. To each his/her own and it can be subjective but lets not all forget that whatever the logo looks like, the very essence of this beautiful hobby is still there: that is postcard exchange from all over the world, from people you do not know!

I'm agree with Titvi. It should include a wide range of colors, not only red and blue. It was a good idea to include the stamps-shape on it, but it should be more related to postcards, to look more international. You should consider postcrosser's ideas as well.

I never liked the old logo, so I'm happy for a change, and I like the new matching shade of blue on the sidebar as well. I like the design of the new logo a lot, but I'm not sure how I feel about the colors. I like the way they look, but I agree with other posters that they don't feel very universal. Overall, though, it's very nice!

I like the old one better, this seems too circus- or birthday-like to me. And the shade of blue is eye-unfriendly.
I wish you went back to the old one. I would feel more comfortable making a postcrossing presentation to teenage and adult students - this one looks a little childish,
sorry :(

It seems a bit crowded... Why not keep the first four letters "Post" with the stamp background for each letter (essentially unchanged) and "Crossing" without background and with a slightly different font or font size?

I would of liked to have a vote in maybe showing several different logos or havr it stay the same. I know none of us own this site but we are what make this site what it is and I would of liked I have a poll/vote on logo changes. With that said I am not a fan of this logo :(

Of course, like everything in life is changing a LOGO. And the former was by no means a graphical highlight and could have done with an expert, gentle refresher well determined.
The magnificent world acting postcrossing idea had been queuing an elegant and taste-graphical solution well.
My current impression: the circus is in town. And unfortunately, not Barnum and Bailey, with the three arenas, but a very small circus with donkeys and goats as the main attraction.
As set also associations like "washing on the line" or "flagged chains" on Used Car Dealer yards.
Anyone with help of the Word program can “lay out" available fonts and some graphical gimmicks.
This has in this case not led to a typographic quality improvement.
Pity about the missed opportunity.
wajdz

Just one more thing, maybe the "crossing" bit could use a different typeface, something related to transportation, road/airport/train signs or indications. Something that conveys a sensation of movement or travel.

I like the idea of the stamp design. But overall, I liked the old logo better. The new one looks a little bit too childish to me to be honest. But I guess I'll get used to it if I have to ;). However, I also find the shade of blue very hard to read so I'd be happy if the shade (or colour) could be changed.

I'm a designer and I have to say it's very bad, truly childish and uninspired. The old one was much better. I'm sure many professional designers would have loved to send other logos and maybe they could have been on poll.

Unfortunately new logo is bad like my English =(
Colors are very bright, especially on forum. And postcrossing means "postcard crossing". But where are postcards on the logo? There are stamps only...
Of course this isn`t the biggest problem on my life. I still like postcrossing. But previous logo and previous colors was better.

I think the old one was better than this, but it is a question of getting used to it. And a logo is actually just a detail for me. What is really important is the objective of Postcrossing project: exchanging postcards and making friends!!!

I am sure someone took time to design this new logo. But I don't like it, it actually looks like it has been made in a hurry. Too simple, not exciting.Maybe a good idea for a contest? Let us send in ideas for a new logo!

I started scrapbooking back in 1999, and the logo reminds me of the stickers-on-punched-out-paper-shapes that were modern back then.
I mean no offense to the designer, it just does NOT look new OR fresh to me...It seems blaah and boring and much less professional than the old one.
The colors don't BOTHER me, but they aren't anything special to me, either...
And like others have already mentioned: if the stamp that the letter is on is slanted, then the letter ON the stamp should be slanted,too. The horizontal letters on the angled stamps looks - well, OFF...

I would have tried to combine the modern (we are in the www here) with the old (writing and mailing postcards)aspects of this hobby.
I would have possibly picked more neutral colors, maybe a font that portrays motion (or old handwriting, or typewriter...), and possibly some eye-catchers like postal cancellation or an ink stain...The postal cancellation mark could read the date of postcrossing's start.

OR

The logo could look like the back of a postcard, adressed to:
Postcrossing
the postcrossing project
with stamps, cancellations etc.

It's always easy to criticise, I know...but you did ask what we thought, and I think with around 300000 members we could have come up with something better, more fitting, than this....

Like many others I was surprised to see the new logo. I am one who believes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". We all are here for the postcrossing experience itself so the logo should not really matter but it seems many (including me) were happy with the old one. If a change was needed to refresh the look of the site or be more up to date, it would have been nice to have had a contest for everyone to contribute their ideas and then vote on the top dozen or so.

The old one was better guys! This one doesn't look professional, it looks varsity, wrong colours for the site, postcrossing is too long to be in the logo this way, and I couldn't tell they were postage stamp shaped until I zoomed in. The old one was on the right track, you want to evoke travel, stamps, postmarks and postcards...this new one misses the theme almost entirely.

Now, I miss "the postcard crossing project". The direction of the letters is not compatible with the direction of the stamps. The new colours are so bright. I like the "old" blue much better than the new one.

By the way: The red P next to "http" looks like a stamp-site (p for philately). The "old postcard" symbol looks much better to me.

I think there is no need to change the logo. But I hope I will get used to the new one after some time.

Like several others have mentioned, I think that if you want to update the logo you should indeed have a contest. We are so many creative people, from all places around the earth..there would be many brilliant ideas, I'm sure of it.
The new logo is bold..but it's too much. It's not very 'user-friendly' or subtle. I hope you consider going back to the old one or letting users send in ideas for a contest ;)
and thank you so much for postcrossing! whatever happens I'll still love it

I disagree that it looks American (it's the wrong shade of red, and there's no white :P), but I agree that I don't like it. It doesn't do a good job of representing the essence of Postcrossing, and it isn't aesthetically pleasing, either. It certainly doesn't look like something that a professional took months to design. I'm quite surprised that this design was chosen, and I hope that it is replaced with a better one soon.

Remember when Coca Cola tried to be modern like Pepsi?
It didn't work and they brought back "classic coke" after discovering that they had made a mistake. People liked their Coca Cola just as it was. I think the same applies to this situation. The old logo is good. I joined Postcrossing because of the concept and the appearance of the site made it very enjoyable to spend hours looking thought postcrossing. The new colors don't show up well on my screen and I have to look away.
Please, please bring back our old logo!

I haven't been a member long but I do like the new logo. Quite honestly, I don't even remember the old logo. This one caught my eye immediately and is simple as a logo should be. Unique and easy to associate with your site and will translate well from small (postcards and letterhead) to medium (t-shirts) to large (billboards). Well done.

I miss the old logo very much, it's simple yet very original & representative (love the blurred postmark at the background). The new one is too... bold & fancy & lose the essence of Postcrossing. A contest is definitely a good idea. I don't feel at home with this new design... *sigh*

a bit more professional??? oh no!! the old one was much more professional.. as many of us mentioned here above, it should be matching to our dear postcrossing.. not like a children's b-day-party...what a pity of a missing opportunity.. even you could made a competition amoung the users for a new logo.. I'd be sure, the result could be much more better.....

Hmm. Interesting to read all the comments. I'm surprised by the very strongly worded comments, bordering on rude! I agree with crazyaboutpostcard that it's not so much the logo that matters but that this is a great project run by people who are supremely dedicated and passionate about the cause. The fact that they care about the look of the site and have really put time and effort into improving things overall, most of which we normal users can't even see, is the point here. This is a free site run by people who volunteer countless hours without pay, so I think the personal comments are rather unnecessary. Of course we are entitled to our opinions, but I'm thinking about the amount of time a contest would have taken to oversee. Thousands and thousands of hours to read everyone's comments and slowly narrow it down, and to deal with all the people who would be mortally offended that their design wasn't chosen.... That would be a huge disaster.

I personally like it. In a world full of internet sites vying for attention, this logo certainly stands out more. I am on a mac/firefox, and the "P" logo on my browser toolbar looks suspiciously like the People.com "P" (but blue). Otherwise, I think its cheerful and bold and I appreciate all the effort put into it. I also like the new shade of blue on the main site and the forum!

Would it be possible to have two themes for the site, which each individual user could choose to use in their settings? That's the only solution I can think of to keep everyone happy, but I don't know how much work/space/time that would take and how viable that idea is. Just throwing it out there!
:)

I agree with those who said that there should have been a contest and vote regarding designs for a potential new logo. This one is ill-advised, to say the least. Had there been a contest, it could have generated many designs that are more visually pleasing than either the old design or the current one.

I also thought it was surprising that so many people think the colors are American. There are many countries whose national colors are red, white, and blue. Red and blue are also two primary colors. But it seems that the U.S. has dominated in giving the impression that these are "American colors"? I think blue and red are classic, but these particular tints are too bright. Perhaps consider darkening them.

I love all the opinions.
I love Circuses.
I don't love blue, except cobalt blue.
What I love about Postcrossing is the variety of people, countries, stamps and all colors together reflect that more then blue, white and red/pink.
What I love about Postcrossing is the traditional snail-mail nature of supporting people all around the globe by MAILING something fun to make someone else feel good.
I don't see this reflected in this new logo.

My suggestion is to ask for graphic contributions and change the logos frequently. Keeping harmony between different people by being inclusive.

My sincere apologies to Maria Nogueira, I do not mean to be offensive or to slighten anyone's efforts here, but since you did ask for members' reactions:

I simply cannot imagine that it took months (!??!) to come up with this. This overly bright, circus- or kiddie-party theme, to me, does not reflect the spirit of Postcrossing. It appears pre-school, like a logo for children' s party supplies maybe. Nope, can't identify with this, sorry.

Let’s apply it to the new logo. The colour blue seems to be the new colour in the Internet. All adverbs and many websites seem to have that colour. It is a happy new logo. Well done as far as I am concerned!

Opening the website this morning was a little shock, first I thought it was wrong. But I will get used to it, sure. Anyways, I wonder why things always have to be invented new.
Whatever the new logo would have been: there will always be people who like it and people who don't. In a way we like to stick to things we are used to, don't we?

I still wish for the old Postcrossing logo and the design to come back. It's more original and professional than this simple new logo. The color of the new logo is too strong. :(

And please do something with the Postcrossing forum websites. The light blue color when browsing for active threads are hurting my eyes. It's too light! X-O
I prefer the old design for the forum as well.

I liked old logo...Maybe new one is very modern and according to logo fashion in autumn 2012. First 30 seconds: why these party flags are here? has PC a birthday? in French colours? but France has birthday in July (on my husbands birhthday:) When I read that this is new logo, sry, my very personal opinion, it should be nice logo for stamp crossing?
But logo isn't still the most important thing about Postcrossing:)

I am a creature of habit, so yeah, I miss the old logo, but will get used to the new one in the end, I am sure.
I do though have a problem with the blue on the forum.. it is very uncomfortable to read.

What I do not understand is why people here think they have the right to decide on a new logo... why they say there should have been a contest or poll.... We are all guests on this site, and of course, we are free to say what we want about it, but it gives us no rights to decide on the design or the content; that is in the hand of the owners. There is nothing wrong with giving an opinion, but some messages almost sound like demands....

Well, when I saw this logo, I was ready to write something congratulatory to this blog, thought may be it's a birthday of something or an anniversary :)

The old logo was unique, though I didn't really love its colors. The new logo looks temporary, not unique at all, and has no relation to the previous one. The colors are poor :( Using of pink for the tiny logo\favicon makes me think it is a website for girls. Also we used to use the acronym PC, not P.

I think it is a great idea about the world contest logo among postcrossers! It's a lot of fun for competitors and for spectators, and all postcrossers could vote for designs on the special page. It is fun! PC team could keep their right to choose the final variant, and preselection could be done with simple poll.

Sorry, but I don't like the new logo at all. It looks childish to me - too far from real stamps (plus this site is about postcards, isn't it?) and the state of the art regarding logos in general. Yes, for a birthday it would've been okay, but not as a permanent choice. I also agree with those who said that red wasn't a great choice because there are so many people who are (red/green) colorblind and this red/blue combination simply is far from elegant/modern/international.

I used to love the looks of postcrossing, I even mentioned this page when it came to great web design as an example, but with this logo I can't do that any more.

The old logo might have looked a bit old-fashioned; but so may postcards seem as well...

The blue and red rectangles behind the letters shall remind me on stamps??? For me, that are maybe stickers, but not stamps. And is postcrossing about exchanging stamps? For most postcrossers, the POSTCARDS are at least as important as the stamps! ;-)
By the way: I like that the letters are not slanted, although the rectangles are; that is kind of funny.
But the P in the red rectangle reminds me on something... an advertising for a cigarette? I do not like it.

And the new blue (around the menu on the left) is too bright for my eyes, too.

But well, this new logo will keep me from spending too much time staring on the postcrossing site on my screen. :-) And I am not going to leave a postcrossing window open any more for my next computer session, because of that agressive red-white "P" in the top line... Certainly, I am going to get used to it...

In a nutshell:
I do not like the new logo; it does not fit to "the postcard crossing project"; and I do not see why it was necessary to change the logo anyway.
But more important than the logo is postcrossing itself.

I think there are many designers in postcrossing.They are willing to design LOGO.May be we can see some different LOGO and choose the best one.Honestly,this one isn't suitable for the look of the website.(Bad English~I hope you could understand)

Ah well, looks like I'm not the only one thinking there's too much USA in the colour world. 'Not another site for Americans...!' was my first thought when I saw the new look. Using the stamp shape is not a half bad idea, though.

Sorry, but saying that anyone has worked hard on this is silly. It was only the matter of making the first stamp (which in my opinion looks like a Pettite Beri cookie...)and the copy paste.
The logo is horrible, it reminds me of b-day parties. The old one was much, much better. ANd the colours... It just looks like you want to get everyones attention no matter the costs...
To be honest, I am more and more disturbed by what's going on in Postcrossing.
Lately, some of the Administrators had gone mad! I am sorry, but if Ann, tells people to register stuff that is not postcards and be firm in the responce... Sorry, it is not a souvenir/ anything you send project! That's a big problem!

And, now you change the logo... I understand the site is yours, but without us it would mean nothing. We are the people who make postcrossing a success. Without us it would just be an idea. I believe you should have asked us, what we thought about the new logo. 80% hate it, and 10% just want to be nice and say that they will get used to it...

I believe you should make a topic on the forum.
maybe someone will be more than happy to make a logo that fits.
Change it back!

As so many has told here, the new logo looks very childish and reminds me of carnivals/circus/children's party. I'm wondering if someone has worked with this logo for a long time! Simple is good, but some ideas are just too simple...
The old one was much better!

I's awful :( It looks like a sign of a cheap circus with dumb clowns and half-starved animals.

I think that Samlanka has suggested a good idea to have a forum topic. I'm sure there will be enough people willing to give their ideas and we can have a contest to find a logo we, the postcrossers, love. (Sorry, if it was somebody else's idea before Samlanka, I don't have much time to look through all comments).

My first idea was "is it a "doodle" to announce an anniversary?" or something like that. Kind of festive, but somehow like "kid's birthday party". Stamps are a good idea to use in a logo for postcrossing, but I would appreciate a little more grown-up design. Change of design is welcome, but maybe you can ask the creative ones among us to join in a competition. I believe there are some people already in the starting blocks - why not give them a chance?

If you had this logo when I signed up two years ago - I won't sign up because it looks like a page for little children.
1. It looks like stamps and this is a project about postcards and not about stamps
2. I miss the reference to "the world". This way it looks like a little project someone just started. And not like a project which connects people all over the world.

Wow, so much sense of ownership by postcrossers! That's what makes this such a great community :)

I agree with many of you that the new logo doesn't capture the essence of postcrossing, and that the shades chosen are painful to see on the screen. It is also too drastic a change from the old logo; if the site had started with this I guess there would be fewer negative reactions (or maybe some of us wouldn't have joined because we thought it was too kiddie?)

Will it make me send fewer postcards or stop recommending the site to my friends? I don't think so! A rose (site) by any other name (logo) will smell just as sweet.

Even though everyone is entitled to their opinion, I believe once you say something you cannot take it back. Remember you are talking to people who dedicate their lives to this project, who take this very seriously and for anyone who believes they could do it better, then please take all that energy and change something in your own life. It takes courage to change. It takes courage to wake up and having to read all of these comments too. Think about that for a second.
Having said that, hurray for Postcrossing!!!!

Sorry, but I have to say, the new logo looks boring - it doesn't represent the large variety of postcards and stamps, nor the variety of countries and cultures.
Please replace the new logo by the old one, it was beautiful!

I'm another person who dislikes the new logo and far preferred the old one. The new one is far too obtrusive (it's the page content, not the logo which is important) and looks clunky and unprofessional to me.

If you decide to change it again, I did like Big_Bilby's suggestion of organising a competition amongst postcrossers to design a new one.

The old one was much better! The old logo was also kind of showcase of this project - when I think "postcrossing" I see the old logo which just FITS but new one - doesn't. Actually I don't even understand why you wanted to change something that was great... Voltaire said: "The best is the enemy of the good"...

To be honest, the new logo looks like a cheap, rough and primitive imitation of the old version.

Every company has a reputation in the society, so the new variant should be associated in part with the old one and preserve continuity with the previous logo (of course, if you do not attempt to get rid of the negative image, but this is not the case).

Old logo has become a kind classic. The best decision was to modernize, refresh the sign a bit if needed, not to change it thoughtlessly.

I'm so sorry, but I do not like it at all! I do not want to hurt anyone, but I do not see here any designer creativity... It's very simple and do not have that meaning of postcrossing as the old one did! Here is just like a birthday-party flags :(

Sorry to be so negative. I'm sure choosing the new logo was a decision that was not made lightly.

When I first saw the new logo I thought of a fair or carnival, or baby blocks. Then I noticed that the rectangles were (perhaps?) stamps. Stamps? Isn't this a postcard site? Where are the postcards? Hmmm...

Also, in my opinion, the page is too harsh and uninteresting--I don't want to stay on it for long. Light blue background, bright blue and red 'stamp' letters, same bright blue on the left with white letters, white box with same bright blue letters in the middle...the only thing my eyes find interesting is the advertisement on the right, and the pictures of the Recent Postcards at the bottom.

Please "turn down" those garishly bright colors and add a pleasant contrast. This blue, red and white is too stark. And make it obvious that this is a postcard site.

Sorry but I really liked the old one much better. This one looks like a miks of a birthday party, and a site for stamp collectors. I might get used to this one ones in the future, even that it will be hard. Sorry but I really don't want to hurt anybody. But since you do ask us. Then I would say: No way, lets get the old Logo back again. Make a competision about a new logo or something like that. This one is simply "No go"

Thanks to Maria and all the admins for their effort, but, personally, I don't like the new logo. As many others users have said, it looks so simple, childish, unfinished, so bright that hurts the eyes and reminds a birthday party, a circus or just a stamp web. Where are the postcards???? I miss a lot the old logo, it has been a shock when I have opened the web page. But if it is the decision of the admins, we have to accept it :)

I do prefer the old one (something about the colors in the new one really does disturb the eyes). BUT... I do like the retro kind of kitschy feel to the new logo. It's fun! But perhaps tweak the color...?

I am fine with the new logo, though it focuses by its shape more on stamps than on postcards (but the facebook cover is great!). I had the same problem with the new and brighter forum blue (missing the contrast which makes it difficult to read), but this seems to have been fixed already.

In my humble opinion, the old one didn't only look better, it also looked more professional. I find the contrast of the blue and the red too stark, and the stamp-thingies look childish. Also, they make it seem as if this site was about stamps when it really is about postcards. I miss the old, softer blue, too. I know I'm usually slow when it comes to accepting new designs etc., but I feel that this is going to be especially hard to get used to. I hate being so negative and unfriendly, but I simply don't think changing the logo, especially changing it to THIS logo, was a good idea.

I don't like the new logo at all, it's exhausting for the eyes - if it was a sound then I'd describe it as if it was shouting at me all the time. Now I often scroll down a bit to get it out of sight. It's somehow disturbing.

Another voice for the detractors here. I dislike the new logo, at first glance the decision to switch from red to blue, red to blue makes it look as though it's two words mixed into one. The old logo was much more fitting for the project, it had a nice font and paraphernalia like stamps and cards. Sorry!

I wonder if part of the outrage expressed here is because this is the second recent incident of springing something on the membership without warning. The other "incident" was the experiment with requiring a comment to sender when registering postcards. I thought I had the wrong ID and wasted a lot of time figuring out that I had no choice but to comment when the day before commenting was clearly optional.

Sorry, but I dislike the new logo. Hope it is as temporary as the other incident. I'm wrong, I'm sure, to think or wish that there is an implied agreement or contract with members not to change things in mid-stream.

I work as quality assurance engineer testing web sites. If my developers have made this, I would have kindly ask them to start working and not playing with colors and forms. I don't want to be rude, but this logo is wrong on all the levels. Now is the time, I started appreciating the old one. Please bring it back, please!

I hate to be negative but while I like the red splash, overall the new logo is a bit childish. Like someone else said it reminds me of a carnival or circus. I see that they wanted to make it look like stamps but it really doesn't.

First of all, I love postcrossing besides the logo and design and colors.

Personally I love much more the older one and I will explain why. I read some comments bellow (not all ones)and I found some reasons and opinions of people that explained why didn't liked it. I like color, I like irreverence, I like change, I like improvement and I like to think in everybody. My vision it's very well, but the vision of many users are not quite good and the light blue of the forum for example it's very annoying and disturbing, because the backgroung it's even more light, even for me that have good vision.

Fourtunatly postcrossing has many users of all ages and countries, cultures, religions and classes. So, maybe there are some good drawing skills or webdesign skills. I don't have personally.

What I want to propose is that you Postcrossing Team make a contest to ask here in blog for drawings of possible logos to Postcrossing. Then, open a poll and invite all users to vote in which one it's better. It was Paulo and Ana that had the ideia of Postcrossing but I think that postcrossing it's of everybody. Everybody it's part of it. Some users are able to do donatives, other not, some users are good drawing, some users are good writting, and so on. Maybe the poll ask also for oppinions about the lightness of the blue settences.

I appreciate your desire for something new but I don't like the new logo...It's a bit childish and reminds me of a celebration, making me wait for the old one when the party is over. Maybe a vote among members on more logo ideas you have?!

Hi there! Thank you very much for the fun new logo! I use the Ipad for. postcrossing and now i have the red and white P as sparkling applogo on my display! I think the logo is terrific. Because of the stampshape for each letter, the two colours showing the to and fro going of postcards and the way the letters are dancing a bit. I have not read other opinions. I don't care. I am happy with this design, congrats designer and postcrossinginventors! WELLDONE!!!

Uggg...red, white and blue flag...reminds me of a clowns tatter clothing on a clothesline...a bit sleazy... the old one withthe burned look to the postcrossing seal looked MORE professional and friendly...this one is glaring. Ditch it.

I'm sorry to say, but I really LOVED the old one, and I hope you will choose that one after reading all this comments. I don't think I will get use to this new logo, and I missed the red colour when I got messages from postcard-receivers.I think the red and blue colour in the new logo seem so cold. The postcrossing project makes me think about warm feelings, so we need a warm logo. SORRY for feeling that way, when you are so happy about finally getting a new logo....

I think postcrossing team really could have warned us about an important change like this. Most of us probably didn't have any problems with the old logo. For me personally the old logo was perfect. It wasn't eye-catching or facy, but it was original and classic. Just like postcards are. It really suited well to this project and this site. This logo is really cute but doesn't have the same feeling of "being about postcards" :)

It's your website to do with what you wish. I like this new one, it IS a bit more professional, and you can change the colours in the stamps when you want - easy to update. Well done. Then again if you change it to something completely different, that's up to you too. Well done.

Another twenty-four hours to reflect on my initial reaction to new logo, I wish to articulate my thoughts precisely. Postcrossing is a superbly-managed, egalitarian site open to all persons on Planet Earth. Much of its charm derives from binding us together in the archaic process of exchanging postcards. I open my mailbox and receive a card from Singapore . . . wow !!! I request an address and send a card to Germany . . . hope you like it. My experience here has been pure pleasure for which I commend the managers. The new logo does not rightfully represent this awesome site. While it is bright and perky, it falls short of the nostalgic essence of stamps and cancellation marks and unusual exotic addresses and the WONDER of receiving/sending a postcard.

Postcrossing is so much better than this cheap gaudy childish new logo makes it seem. For the week if Postcrossing's anniversary or the day of Paulo's birthday this logo could work. But please reconsider the decision to make this a permanent change!

It's incredible the rudeness of some replies! If you don't have anything intelligent to say, please keep your ideas to yourselves and save us from mediocrity. Old logo, new logo, no logo, I don't care, I'm happy it exists.

Having read all 301 replies before mine, I get that the drift that most people don't like the new logo. Personally, my initial response was dramatic, along the lines of "Oh my gosh why on earth would they change it to this hideous creation?!?!?!?!" But then having looked at it for a while, it's been growing on me. It's certainly different, but not bad. For one thing it's a little more bright and happier than the old one. I'll get used to it eventually. Just remember, change is not a four letter word.

Ack! I didn't expect the logo to change & now I can't even recall what the old one looked like. ;) I like the new one - it's very modern - not sure if I love it yet or not - I just hope the rest of the site won't change - so glad Postcrossing.com exists! :)

I am sorry; but I have to agree with the majority of the users on this thread in voicing my displeasure with the new logo. It is too garish for my tastes. The old logo had a very quiet elegance to it that was timeless, like our postcards.

If there is an option to use the old logo, I would definitely take it in an instant.

Over the 4+ joyful years I have been on this site I have touted it to many family and friends. It was cool, fun, sophisticated. Flat out AWESOME! It's strange how I feel a kind of embarrassment now when I open the site.
I love Postcrossing! I'm here to stay! I wouldn't give it up for the world! A new logo will not change that but I still love the old one better.
Thanks Postcrossing staff for all you do :)

Perhaps it needs some time for the new logo to look okay for me? I thought the previous one looked somehow more "professional". I don't think that the previous one as something inferior--designed thoughtlessly just for the sake of coming up with a logo. It looks elegantly timeless. This new one seems a little bit "frivolous" to me. I am sorry to say that.

I think the new visual identification of postcrossing is a big failure. You have mistaken the design of the LOGO with the design of the headline STRIPE. Now the website looks like a picture exchange service for children. Also, the connotations with specific national flags are too strong (notably USA, but also Russia, Netherlands, etc.) which is not good for a service whose ambition is to span all the nations.

I understand that you wanted to have a strong visual identification of Postcrossing. What regards the LOGO, your new favicon (the old one was horrible) is a good candidate: a SINGLE "P" letter on a red vertical rectangle with "perforation" on the sides to mimic a post stamp. Rationale:

- A single letter on vivid background can make a perfect logo. A small "f" on rounded blue square means "facebook" for most of the people on this planet. Why a capital "P" on red "stamp" could not do the same for Postcrossing? (ehem, maybe not for 1 billion users, though...)

- To make it a bit more aggressive, you could also make P yellow instead of white; yellow and red are "postal" colors in many countries. But do not try to mimic e.g. a postbox for the background, because post boxes look different throughout the world. A stamp is universal.

- This is the LOGO. Make it big and apparent, e.g. 100x60 pixels. The rest of the headline STRIPE should be neutral, e.g. the remaining letters in "P-osctcossing" should be e.g. black or dark-grey; add a few cards or colourful stamps in the background to make it more appealing, as in the old design.

I can see why you might have thought the old logo was a little bit old-fashioned, but that added to the charm. Sending postcards can be old-fashioned too, instead of this TwitterFacebookMySpaceBlahblahblah of today, but one person's "old-fashioned" is another person's "classic" and your old logo captured that nicely. This one, not so sure. It just looks frivolous, like someone above me here just wrote. Anyway ...

To be honest, I do not really like the new logo ... This is similar to the sign in the circus ... Too tasteless and I think in a hurry ... Old logo was much better, and I really liked the cards that he was accompanied by ... I do not understand why it was necessary to change something. Sorry for the criticism.

Hi Paolo and colleagues, i allready commented on the logo, which i like very much. But i feel sorry to read all the negativity here. If one doesnot like the logo they should give it a few days to get used to it. Also if someone gets a new dress you don't burn it of do you? You are respectfull if you don't like it. And here the people feel free to be rude. It makes me sad. I hope you won't let it spoil your weekend. Now i am disappointed in my feloow postcrossers. Shame on them!!

I liked the old logo better. To me, it seemed more professional than the new one!
Everytime I log in, I feel like I'm on the wrong site but then I realize that it's just the new logo that's irritating me.

I've left it a few days before commenting as I know from experience that my gut reaction and my considered reaction are not always the same. When I first saw the new Logo and it certainly jumped out of the screen as soon as I logged on, I thought 'oh, no' but having put some distance between my initial reaction and now, I find the new Logo is growing on me. I like the colors - they compliment one another. However, I do think we lost something with the words 'the postcard crossing project' being removed. I think that for someone logging onto the site for the very first time might actually miss what the site is about. Maybe, in my humble opinion, if these words (or something similar) were incorporated in the new Logo it might make the change a lot more acceptable.
Whatever the outcome I know that I will continue to enjoy Postcrossing. When I started out first just over a couple of years ago little did I know that as well as sending and receiving some spectacular postcards to and from spectacular places that I would make some great friends here. Paulo and team, keep up the good work. I for one am very greatful for this site. Thank you.

" I like the idea of the dancing stamps but not the colors. It would be cool to change the colors to go with the seasons or with the flag of the highlighted country or postcrosser.
Posted by PENZE on 6 Oct, 2012 "

Like the majority of other Postcrossers, I prefer the old logo. I'm glad to see I'm not alone. However, I may get
used to the new one in time, like I always do. I always have a problem when any web site changes its design, even when others seem to like it. I complain every time there's a change on Weather.com or Yahoo. I always think "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Even if said web site contains a bunch of so-called great new features. I'd rather stick with the tried and true -

Hello again - Now that I've had time to look at the logo, I agree with another Postcrosser who said: "Now the website looks like a picture exchange service for children." I certainly do get the vibe of a child's party/circus/etc. Also, I do agree that it's a bit too large/hard on the eyes. Anyway, in the end, it's just a logo ;) but these are my thoughts. I guess I'm not too keen on the new logo after all. :/

With all these negative views (yes, including mine) I want to say I hope the artist does not feel it is all directed at her. Presumably she was given specifications to work from, and other people contributed to the final decision. Maria, don't feel too bad, all these bad comments are not just at you.

Okay I took another look at the old one and the new one is much better for sure. My previous post about adding more colours might just be too busy!! I see that the red and blue does match the rest of the page nicely so I change my vote to THUMBS UP!!!!

Its not bad, but....I agree, I wish it were in different colors. What would be very interesting if maybe the blocks had country flags on it or something. Yes, I realize it would leave most country flags off but it could still have a bit more detail to it or other colors to represent the countries.

-First of all, the reason I do not like the new logo is not because I loved the old one or that I am opposed to change. I think a new logo that is better than the old one and better than the current one is possible.

As for the new logo...
-The color scheme doesn't work well. I especially hate that magenta-pinkish color. I have no problem with bright colors but there should be a variety of them, not just two, and a deliberate, careful effort not to look like blocks or party flags.
-I guess the boxes are supposed to look like stamps. But they don't! They look like blocks or flags. If we are going with a stamp theme, it should actually *look* like stamps - like the graphic at the bottom left of the page. I really like that graphic and I think it represents the essence of the project well. I am sure something similar which also highlights the words "Postcrossing: the postcard crossing project" could be designed.
-I also dislike the new little logo at the address bar. In this case, the old one (postcard symbol) was MUCH better. I doubt that could be improved--the old one should be brought back.

If the administrators don't want to pay for someone to design another new logo, they could solicit designs from postcrossers (similar to the postcard-design contest or the contest to design a video that explains postcrossing a while back). They could choose several of those, and then post a poll for all of us to vote, and choose the most popular one. I really think this could generate some great designs, and something the most postcrossers would like would be chosen.

We were asked to provide feedback, and this is my honest opinion. Yes, criticism may be hard to hear, but I have thought about this a lot since the old logo was replaced, and I doubt the new one will "grow on me." I guess I may get used to it, but I am never going to change my mind and like it. Now, I want to scroll down on every page so I don't have to look at the new logo -- I am sorry if this sounds rude, but that is honestly how much I dislike it.

The new logo looks unprofessional and is a little nauseating. The color scheme and lazy design seem like some patriotic British/American circus bunting. I love experimenting with new looks and ideas but I might stop using Postcrossing because I can't stand to look at this eyesore. Today is a very sad day for Postcrossing.

There are a lot of rude messages but I tried to be polite. The Postcrossing team asked us what we think about the new logo and we have answered them, but it's true that some people have been rude.
Otherway, I'm not against changes, yes, changes are good, but I don't like this change. Maybe, if there are more designs we can try which one we prefer and it will be a change too. But if they don't show us, we only can decide between the old one and the new one.
Well, as I have said, if this is the new logo, we have to accept it and those that don't like it (including me), we have to get used with it :) I won't leave Postcrossing only for this reason!!!

I don't like the new 'birthday banner' at all. The old one said so much about the entire scope of Postcrossing. I won't get used to it, so I will ignore it completely. It's not reflective of anything associated with mailing postcards. I don't get the 'stamp' feel from the new look. Make it go away; bring back the old one. Please consider leting talented designers in the Postcrossing community submit some really smashing ideas and let us all vote on a universal look that the majority of us can love.

Perhaps we are all alittle freaked out about the new logo, not that we don't like changes, but that we are afraid you might be springing more changes on us that we won't like. Facebook kept changing, for the worse, IMHO. From what I am reading so far, most of us really like Postcrossing, and don't want to see changes as drastic as the new logo. I think any changes in the format/mailing/routine should be brought up long before any changes are made, if the new logo is leading up to that. ?

When I saw the new logo, I thought is was very fresh, not to colourfull ( even maybe to little colourful, reminded me of the dutch flag)just a "quiet" logo.
The blue on the forum doesn't bother me.
But it was not a "wow" reaction!
I do not give it so much importance, as it is the postcrossing itself that I like!
All the comments given above show how different people think about it and this will be the case with every logo in the future.
Graphic design is not as easy as some people suggest, I am not a graphic designer so I will not judge the work done to get this result.
I like the suggestion of heidibmoon to change the logo frequently (don't know how much work that is for the webmaster!). And maybe using the designs from postcrossers that are able to do this and like to do it. No contest where one getting 1% more is a "winner", but a value for everyone's choice and a lively stream of different atmospheres, which is also the soul of postcrossing itself!

Not a good move, the original was better, but does it really matter anyway? Unfortunately, yes, it does, because postcrossing is an interesting blend of the traditional (post) and the modern (email), and you have just messed with the traditional (the logo). I'm left wondering what's next...

Postcrossing as a social networking excercise actually works, unlike the dreadful Faecebook (deliberate sp.), don't mess around with it too much - please !

Must give my 5 cents as well...When I saw the postcrossing-site in 2006 for the first time, I remember finding the logo a bit strange, but interesting. Then it still read: "the postcard crossing project" and the colours where dark blue and pinkish. This drew my attention and I really often wondered about the unusual design. I got used to it and then found it really cool after a while and now...this.
I think the idea of a contest including old logo, new logo, new logo with changes to help it looks better, and new ideas from members would be a good idea.

Let's get real: this "special" creation could have easily have been produced in Adobe Illustrator in under 30 minutes! And the elements looks like playing blocks for children not even stamps. It is bland and boring and has nothing to do with mailing and the essence of the project. Either stick to the old logo or open a competition.

My first thought when I saw the new logo was that there was something to celebrate, like a postcrossing birthday. When I read it had taken months to come up with this, I was a bit surprised though. It looks quite simple (nothing wrong with that!), but I think it would be nice if the logo incorporates more what postcrossing is all about. Now it seems to be about stamps only, while the previous one also said something about 'postcard crossing project'. I don't hate it, I'm already used to it and I'm starting to like it. But still, I think it would be nicer if more of the project was recognizable in it, so also new members can get some sort of an idea of postcrossing from simply the logo :)

Postcrossing is much bigger that its logo, really!
Making proper logos is very expensive and I much prefer Postcrossing using the (little) money (it has) for making us a better and more usable system. Keep up the good work Paulo and friends.

Could not something be done at least with the color tints to make them more eye friendly? From all the comments I see that I am not the only one who has this problem. I really want to spend time enjoying the site, but the changes in the colors hurt my eyes. Before I would spend hours looking at postcards by countries or those being registered. As I have stated before, I prefer the old logo which was really good and didn't give me one problem viewing it!! Yes, we postcrossers are very passionate about postcrossing. It is not about objecting to change--it is about protecting something that is of great value from being changed just to make a change.

I must disagree with your latest comment that it is "too soon" to register a feeling about the new logo. A logo is all about instant impression and response....and this new one is not good enough for this great project.

I also liked the old one better. This new one is too simple and the colours make it look like children's drawing.

What's more - can you please leave the "icon" that is on the list of tabs in IE and other as it was (the old postcard like "icon" instead of the new first letter on pink rectangle)? If you do it this way - I'd easier accept the new logo ;).

I commented before, after seeing the logo, but decided that maybe I didn't make myself clear.
I still do not like the logo. I didn't love the one had before either, but it was much better. I do believe that change is good and I think you should maybe think of a different idea, or just try to make it again from scratch, with handwritten letters and different colours.

I believe that this logo won't gain us any new people.When you enter teh site as a new person, you think it's a site for kids...
SOrry, it just isn't good. Please, prove to us that you are grown adults who can and will admit to have had made a mistake :)

I really want to like it--but when I opened it up the other day, I thought, "What happened? Is there a party?" It looks, well, kind of childish, as others have said. It needs some sophistication. I'm usually pretty good at just going with stuff, but I'd hesitate to recommend this to people based on the look of the site--and I've done quite a bit of recommending in the past, when it looked professionally done. Love the site, though! Love the project! Just...not too keen on the new look.

I don't like this new logo. and I don't understand people who say that they love it. I'm a graphic designer and i say that the new logo looks awful. Colors are too contrast and it dazzled. The size is too big. This logo annoys me.
Please, back the old one!!!! Or change the colors!

I know I'm pretty much beating a dead horse here by stating my opinion but I prefer the old logo to this one. The new one does have a party/circus feel to it. And I feel it's much too big. I realize that time and effort was put into this new logo, but I'm not sure the old one needed fixing. Please bring back the old one...or perhaps...meld the two together?

I don't like this one at all. A company in the USA uses something like this for the packaging of their cookies (biscuits). The cookies taste too sweet and artificial. When I see this, I get that nasty taste in my mouth. Let's have a contest for people to submit their choices.

To me, this logo looks so tacky. It makes me feel like I'm on one of those scam sites. It's ugly, boring, and lacking in any sort of innovation. It looks better suited for a quilting circle logo than Postcrossing. :/

I don't like the new logo at all. I was hoping it was something for a special day or something that would soon go away. The old logo looked much more professional, the new one looks very unprofessional and childish. Sorry... It's not getting any better with time, please, please bring back the old logo. :-(

I love our new logo! When I first saw it, it gave me a retro feel. I'm really saddened to see the negative comments on it. Hopefully, folks will grow to like it given time.
Thanks for keeping things fresh and interesting!
d

One of my favorite things about Postcrossing is looking at the handwriting and cancelled stamps on the cards. I think the old logo, when it was paired with several cancelled stamps in the banner, really evoked that feeling. The new logo does not capture it.

Also, sending postcards is an old-fashioned (and perhaps more thoughtful) means of communication. The modern and commerical feel of the new logo clashes with that sentiment.

I agree with many others that the new logo seems more geared toward children because of the primary colors, the stamps that look like blocks, and the tilted letters.

I definitely prefer the other color scheme better. I also do prefer the text "postcard crossing project" as part of the logo. I'd like to see actual cancelled stamps, postcards, and/or handwriting incorporated into the logo somehow, and more muted colors.

I was away for a week and was so disappointed when I came back to find the new logo. I immediately wrote to Postcrossing with my feedback (and received a very nice email in response), and I am only now seeing this forum to leave comments.

Even after time to get used to the logo, I echo the sentiments of those users who find the new logo childish and less professional. I think people will take the project less seriously because of the first impression they will receive from the appearance of the logo. I doubt that I would have thought it was a project for adults from looking at the logo. I am always glad when I see that children are involved, but the circus feel of this logo doesn't fit the idea of the project for me. I agree with the user who was surprised to learn that this was the work of a professional designer. I don't think it fits the project.

Finally, while I realize that many countries' flags are red, white and blue, I think at the very least more colors should have been incorporated into the new design.

A logo change is always difficult. You are so used to the old logo usually that you hardly see it anymore and then when it's changed it comes as a shock. I hope Postcrossing people will understand that this may be a large factor in peoples (sometimes harsh) replies here. I think this is a fine logo and we will all get used to it and not nag about it anymore.

I'm not on Postcrossing as much as I used to be. I did notice the logo change and wanted to give it some time. I have to say that I prefer the old one. The new one is too big, the colors are too bold and it is missing the important line "the postcard crossing project". The stamps that used to be a secondary part of the logo have now come front-and-center, even if the postcards are more important, possibly confusing people

I am not against change, but why fix what isn't broken? I'm sure I'll get used to it over time, however getting used to it doesn't mean liking it.

I know I'm a little late with this, but I still want to say: I think the new logo is much much much better than the old one! Because it IS finally a logo :) The old one looked just like you described it: Like something that was needed but not considered all too important, so it just got pasted together quickly...

Yes, the new logo looks kind of playful, but to me, so IS Postcrossing! It's fun!

I think all in all it does give the site a much more professional look!

I like the old one better. It was more 'grown-up' and international. At first I thought is was Postcrossing's Birthday..
Why did you pick such a simple boring old font? There are so many wonderful fonts out there.. :-(
Ah well, maybe i'll get used to it someday..

Sorry to say this....but my daughters, also "teenage postcrossers", were shocked and said;"What happened with the logo? It's so old- fashioned and the colors are so "dull".
And yes, I do agree, the logo isn't "refreshing/ "alive and kicking"...

Really unfortunate logo. Any chance to bring back the old one when the cute new wintery background melts away? It seems like the overwhelming majority do not like this logo new logo. The old one was much nicer.